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PM Boys Capture Pioneer
Blues Beat Narrows For Third Time In Nine Days
The Parry McCluer High School boys basketball team won the Pioneer District tournament title by earning a 74-61 home win over Narrows on Friday night in Buena Vista.
It was the Blues’ third win over Narrows in nine days, following a 90-74 win over Narrows to clinch the top seed in the tournament and the regular-season title four days earlier at James River High School in Buchanan. The teams split the regular- season meetings, with second-seeded Narrows (20-5 overall, 9-2 district) winning 54-52 at PM on Dec. 12 and the Blues (214, 10-1) winning at Narrows on Feb. 8.
The Blues were scheduled to play host to Galax in the Region 1C quarterfinals last night. For the result of that game and regional tournament updates, visit www.
thenews-gazette.com.
In last Friday’s game, the Green Wave took an early lead in the first quarter, with Narrows’ Carter Holmes connecting a 3-pointer to put the visitors ahead 7-4. Cooper Helvey followed Holmes with another 3-pointer to make the score 10-6. With Narrows leading 21-12, PM went on an 8-0 run that began with back-to-back 3-pointers from Evan Cook. JJ Jones then made a layup, and Cook hit a 3-pointer to give PM a 23-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.
PM would only lose its lead one more time, midway through the second quarter. With PM leading 30-24, Narrows’ Cooper Helvey made a 3-pointer and a layup, and Elijah Knoetze hit a shot to give the Green Wave a 31-30 lead.
Landon Catlett helped the Blues take back the lead by scoring a field goal and, just before the buzzer, taking a steal from one end of the court to the other for another basket. PM led 34-33 at halftime.
To start the second half, Langston Cook made pair of free throws and a 3-pointer to give PM a 42-35 lead. Jones and Catlett combined for points throughout the third quarter, and PM led 54-45 going into the fourth quarter. Narrows star Kolier Pruett cut the lead to 54-51 by beginning the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer at the middle of the circle and a pair of free throws. After 3-pointers by Evan Cook and Braedyn Houck, PM led 61-51.
After Pruett made another shot, Langston Cook responded by driving past Pruett to extend the Blues’ lead to 63-53. With less than a minute-and-a-half to go, Narrows began to force PM to make free throws to close out the game. Nathan Glass, Catlett and both Cook brothers made sure the game never got close again by sinking 11 free throws down the stretch.
Evan Cook led the Blues with 19 points, Catlett and Langston Cook scored 16 points each.
Pleased by his team’s performance, PM head coach Tyler Kerr said, “I think our guys have really bought into the ideas of help side defense and making everything difficult for Pruett. I thought we did a tremendous job of rebounding tonight.”
“Our defensive approach tonight was to slow down Pruett and the last three contests I think we were successful in that,” added Kerr. “He’s one of the best players in the state. We had to.”
Praising his players, Kerr said, “Those 14 kids are just magnificent and where we are at this point of the season is from their hard work and dedication. They make coaching fun.”
PM 96, BC 53 In their highest-scoring game of the season, the Blues routed Bath County 96-53 at home in the Pioneer District semifinals last Wednesday.
In the first quarter, PM’s Evan Cook made five 3-pointers, including three in a row, to help lift the Blues to a 29-14 lead.
To start the second quarter, Catlett hit two 3-pointers and added his own set of free throws as well on the way to a 38-14 PM lead. The Blues continued rolling, with Cook making his sixth 3-pointer of the night. Before the halftime buzzer, Jones made a 3-pointer and Houck scored a layup in a quick run of transition. The Blues held Bath County (13-13, 2-8) to just five points in the second quarter to build a 56-19 advantage.
“It’s been a huge point of emphasis this past week,” said Kerr. “Sometimes our defense is a little off at times and so is our rebounding . If we’re gonna make a run at this thing, we really have to hone in on rebounding and defense. We did that tonight and the kids took it upon themselves to get it done.”
Catlett made his third 3-pointer to start the third quarter off for PM, and it was much of the same for the rest of night. Cook finished his night with his seventh three pointer to put the score at 6926. Parry McCluer opted to play their reserves from this point on.
In the final quarter of play, Caden Henson and Jayvion Cash made 3-pointers to close the game.
